Spain is the place to look if you want to build HSR. They have built a lot of it for much cheaper than any other country. Japan has the most used HSR trains, but that is about population density, not that they do anything in particular right.

I'd drop the Netherlands for Turkey, and France for south Korea in a heartbeat if I was in charge. Probably Taiwan for Italy as well.

The above is about building. Once it is built Japan and France have a lot to teach the world about operations.